1. Technical Field
Aspects of this document relate to a microcurrent stimulus apparatus that supplies electrical pulses of various shapes and frequencies for the purpose of rejuvenating the skin and toning the underlying muscle for aesthetic purposes.
2. Background Art
Many methods have been developed to provide a more youthful look for the face and body, one of which is electrical stimulation of the skin and/or muscle in an attempt to help tone the skin and/or muscle to reduce the appearance of wrinkles as well as the effects of aging. These devices are commonly known as microcurrent stimulators, which are a subset of electrical muscle stimulators (EMS) or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators (TENS). Microcurrent stimulators use electrical currents that are lower than that of a TENS unit.
Microcurrent devices that are presently on the market are available in two form factors: tabletop units, which require administration by trained professionals; and handheld units that are sold through various channels directly to the end user. Most of these devices generally use similar waveforms and therefore produce similar results. Some have fixed electrodes, which limits reaching the tendons of the muscle. Others have limited effectiveness due to the shape of the stimulus pulse. Most products operate in open-loop mode, leaving it to the end user to determine if the muscle has reached its optimum state. As a result, users may over-stimulate their tissue, causing either browning of the skin (burning) or muscle fatigue.
So as to reduce the complexity and length of the Detailed Specification, and to fully establish the state of the art in certain areas of technology, Applicant(s) herein expressly incorporate(s) by reference all of the following materials identified in each numbered paragraph below.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,432 to Pedro Molina-Negro et al., issued Sep. 17, 1985.    U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,605 to Rossen, issued Feb. 5, 1991.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,398 to Rogozinski, issued Mar. 7, 1995.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,864 to Wallace et al., issued Jun. 4, 1996.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,552 to Hansjurgens, issued Nov. 12, 1996.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,060 to Pohl et al., issued Nov. 26, 1996.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,477 to Groux, issued Sep. 1, 1998.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,138 to Suzuki, issued Oct. 6, 1998.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,156 to Chandler et al., issued Aug. 10, 1999.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,329 to Che et al., issued Feb. 15, 2000.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,236 to Jarding et al., issued Mar. 7, 2000.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,735 to Jarding et al., Aug. 14, 2001.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,211 to Powell, issued Jun. 18, 2002.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,519 to Powell, issued Aug. 12, 2003.    U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,834 to Paul, Jr., issued Jan. 2, 2007.    U.S. Publication 2008/0249587 to Cho et al., published Oct. 9, 2008.    U.S. Publication 2009/0112283 to Kriksunov et al., published Apr. 30, 2009.    U.S. Publication 2009/0270788 to Marenus et al., published Oct. 29, 2009.    U.S. Publication 2010/0105285 to Shao, Apr. 29, 2010.
Applicants believe that the material incorporated above is “non-essential” in accordance with 37 CFR 1.57, because it is referred to for purposes of indicating the background of the invention or illustrating the state of the art. However, if the Examiner believes that any of the above-incorporated material constitutes “essential material” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.57(c)(1)-(3), applicant(s) will amend the specification to expressly recite the essential material that is incorporated by reference as allowed by the applicable rules.